In the drama “Judas and the Black Messiah,” British actor Daniel Kaluuya won an Oscar for his supporting role as the late Black Panther activist Fred Hampton.
Kaluuya was born in London to Ugandan parents at the age of 32.
To make the most of the job, he drew on his admiration for the Black Panthers’ leader.
This is what he said in his acceptance speech, “To chairman Fred Hampton, bro, man, what a man. What a man. How blessed we are that we live in a lifetime where he existed. Thank you for your life.”
While the United States and other nations continue to grapple with the same race problems that the Panthers did, Kaluuya said he hoped to become a “vessel” for Hampton’s spirit.
“Chairman Fred Hampton was a light of a being who would illuminate all he touched with his incredible message,” Kaluuya said last month after receiving his second Academy Award nomination.
Hampton was shot and killed by the Chicago police department during a pre-dawn raid on his apartment in 1969 when he was 21 years old. He may have been doped the night before.
Mark Clark, another Black Panther activist, was also assassinated.
For the part, Kaluuya won a Golden Globe, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and a Bafta.
“Thank you, God, thank you, God; I can’t be here without your guidance and your protection. I’d like to thank my Mum, so thank you so much for pouring into me; you gave me everything, you gave me your factory settings so that I can stand at my fullest height,” the actor said.
“Love to my sister, love to my niece, my friends, and my family, everyone that I love from London town to Kampala.”
Kaluuya was born in London and raised in a public housing estate in the British capital by his mother, a Ugandan immigrant. His father chose to remain in Uganda.
He rose to prominence after starring in “Get Out,” a race comedy-horror film, as well as “Black Panther.”
Chloé Zhao, born in China, made history by being the first woman of color and the second woman to receive the Academy Award for Best Director for “Nomadland.”
Meanwhile, Youn Yuh-Jung made history by becoming the first Korean actress to receive an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as the grandmother in the Korean-American family drama “Minari.”
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